


Anxiety

by Fiction_Rules_Reality



Series: Newsies V. Schoolboys [1]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Anxiety Disorder, Established Relationship, M/M, Mental Health Issues, david jacobs has anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 18:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5596072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiction_Rules_Reality/pseuds/Fiction_Rules_Reality
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The very idea of going back to school terrifies Davey, which leads to anxiety. Jack is going to have to calm him down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anxiety

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Davey repeats this in his head hoping it will calm him down. He glances around himself trying to decide what is real, if his life is real, and what these random passerby’s must think of the poor boy who is struggling to stand and breathe for no apparent reason. He drops his papers and clenches his hands into fists.

It’s the papers falling that catches Les’s attention, from his spot a few feet away where he was using the poor sickly orphan act Jack taught him, an act that would be ruined if he was standing next to his well groomed older brother. However Les kept an eye on Davey, he was just as protective of his older brother as Davey was of him.

Immediately Les recognizes what is happening. The same symptoms have appeared in Davey before, though he has never known the cause or how to help him. He knows there is no way he will be able to help his brother on his own, not when he has no knowledge of what is going on. His best option is trying to find Jack who should be selling on the same street. The thought sends Les running.

“Jack, Jack!” Les yells as he barrels towards the other newsies who was selling his last paper to a young women. “Please it’s Davey, you gotta help!” Les tugs on Jack’s arm pulling the older boy away from the women, who has noticed and just begun walking away.

“Davey? Les what happened? Is he okay?” Jack questions briskly walking, causing Les to have to jog to keep up.

“I don’t know. He gets this thing sometime where he won’t listen or look at anyone. He just stops and breathes really quickly. No one’s ever told me what it is.” Les pants a bit as he awkwardly attempts to explain without knowing how to explain it.

Jack stops walking and Les follows suit while he tries to catch his breath. Davey stands a few feet ahead of them looking lost, a look Davey had never seen before but really hates. He loves it a lot more when his boyfriend is confident, spouting off random facts. Jack makes sure to keep an eye on Les as he picks up the fallen newspapers. He hands them to Les, who puts them in his bag, and rests his left hand on Davey’s right shoulder.

“Hey you okay?” Jack asks. He no idea as to what is going on, he has never seen Davey act like this before. Normally he is collected, always knowing exactly what to say or do. Especially after the strike. To see Davey like this, with his eyes clenches shut as he taps his hand on his leg in a quick session to regulate his breathing, it kills Jack. However with a limited understanding on what is going on he can only do so much, he has to get Davey home.

“It’s okay Davey, everything's gonna be okay,” Jack whispers and wraps his arm around Davey’s shoulder in an attempt to look casual. Together the three of them start walking towards the Jacob home.

They continue this way; with Jack physically guiding a tense and shaking David Jacobs as Les trails behind them. It was only a few minutes before Kid Blink and Mush come running from across the street. They had been selling when they noticed the trio and rushed to know what happened to their friend.

“We don’t know, I’m taking him home though. Can you take the papers back to Weasel?” Jack responds to their questions, shifting his stance a bit to gain comfort without disturbing Davey.

Mush and Blink nod but Les protests. “I don’t wanna. I wanna sell, Davey would be mad if we missed a good selling day and great headline for him.” Les pouts and Jack rolls his eyes but continues to walk nodding a goodbye to Blink and Mush, who immediately go back to selling. Jack decides to get Davey and Les home, figure out what is wrong with Davey, and sell back the papers later today; he still has a few hours and if he’s late then he’ll pay Davey back with his own money.

“I can’t leave you out here by yourself Les.”

“But Jack-”

“Maybe if we see a newsies I trust to take care of you. Maybe” Jack agrees wanting Les to be quiet so he can focus on Davey’s worsening condition.

They were outside the door to the Jacobs apartment building when Crutchie yells at them. “Jack, Jack.” He calls getting them to stop and wait for him to meet them.

Jack tells Crutchie what he knows and asks him to watch Les, who grins brightly. Crutchie says nothing about the way Jack’s eyes keep drifting to Davey during the conversation, he doesn’t mention the waver in Jack’s voice as he makes an offhand joke about the kid and the crippled selling together. He doesn’t say anything about the fake smile Jack gives as he tells Crutchie that they’ll meet up at the Lodge later; Crutchie just smiles at Les and guides him back down to his normal selling spot.

Jack manages to get Davey in the house and walks right past Mrs. Jacobs to help Davey into bed. Letting Davey curl up under his blanket Jack leaves the room.

He meets Mrs. Jacobs and Sarah in the family room sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

“I- I thought he was over it. He’s hasn’t acted like this since before his dad’s accident.” Mrs. Jacobs gives a shaky smile, her dark brown eyes glistening with tears. Jack frowns and takes a seat in the chair next to her. “It used to happen so often. We don’t know what it is, really. We’ve taken him to doctors and specialists but they don’t understand it either. The best we can do is help him through it.”

“How?” Jack is still frowning, he didn’t understand how the doctors could not know. They were suppose to be smart and know everything.

“Try to calm him down. When this happens he’s usually worrying about something, it doesn’t even how to make sense what he is worrying about. He just is. The only thing to do his let him open him when he wants to.” Sarah answers as Mrs. Jacobs cries; wishing there was more she could do for her son, Sarah simply nods towards Davey’s bedroom.

Jack takes the hint and silently reenters Davey’s room. “Davey, you okay?” Jack questions as he slowly makes his way towards the bed. He reaches out and helps Davey sit up before Jack settles down next to him, letting Davey rest his head on Jack’s left shoulder.

Davey’s breathing patterns are slowly returning to normal, and his body has almost stopped shaking. Curled up with his boyfriend in his room has helped him calm down and relaxed his muscles. Jack takes note of everything that has been helping Davey, he wants to be able to help him should this ever happen again.

Davey takes a deep breath and begins, “I-I’m fine.” His voice quivers and he moves to cover his face with his hands.

“Davey.” Jack’s hands shake a bit as moves to sit in front of Davey. He attempts to remove Davey’s hands from his face to look him in the eyes but Davey refuses to move.  
“It’s just uh-this happens a lot when I get scared or-or when I too stressed. We don’t really know what it is.” Davey stutters and stammers keeping his head bowed, he removes his hands from covering his face to wipe away his tears.

“What caused this one?” Jack leans forward, and frowns as he sees Davey blink back tears.

“School. I-I really don’t want to go back.” Davey sighs and blushes before yawning. “I mean I love learning things at school but I hate the people. They never liked me, how smart I am, how poor my family is; they always find a reason.

“I’m scared.” He stares at Jack with wide eyes brightened by tears. “Scared of their fists, their words. Not even smart boys like the poor boy's, and there is nothing I can do. It’ll probably be worse now with our pictures in the papers for the strike.” Davey is sitting up now with his legs tucked under him now and he pulls both of Jack’s hands into his on his lap, never looking away from Jack’s eyes.

“Well they may not like you but we do. We newsies are a family, we ain’t gonna leave you just because you are going back to school. If you just tell me and the others, we’ll be there.” Jack removes his left hand from Davey’s grip and places on Davey’s chin, pulling him in for a kiss.

They break apart smiling and Davey knows that he is still dreading going back to school but it does not matter as much now, not when he can just focus Jack and know that the other’s will always be like his second family.

**Author's Note:**

> At first I had attempted to include their accents in my dialogue but I honestly found it to annoying to see on my screen and I wasn't sure I even had it correct. 
> 
> Also I tried to make their ideas and understandings of anxiety as accurate to the time as I could.


End file.
